CHAPTER EIGHT
957 Words
By Monday morning I was perplexed, to say the least.
The internet couldn't tell me how River could kill me, but he'd said it with such confidence, it was hard to doubt him.
Just for fun, I'd also asked it how to kill a water-nymph. No joy.
I pulled out my trusty zippo lighter as I walked to work. It was important not to do anything too interesting with it when I was out in public, but I found some comfort in sparking the flame, letting it go out, and sparking it again.
I'd found it on a battlefield in Turkey during World War II, after all the fighting had played out. I didn't particularly enjoy all the noise and mess...but there were always plenty of things to burn on a battlefield.
I walked through the doors early, as intended, and went straight to the office.
My first plan had been to look at some files on the computer, but after remembering how River had snooped on my computer usage at work already, I realised that it would be wiser to look through the hard-copy files instead.
I grabbed the keys for the filing cabinet, and went straight to the 'M' drawer.
I couldn't tell you what compelled me to take a second look at Archie McCallum's notes, but I can tell you it turned out to be as important as I'd felt it may be.
Archie McCallum had died from exsanguination. Now - as previously stated - I'm no expert on werewolves, but it doesn't take a genius to find it suspect that they would choose 'draining a man of blood' as their mode of execution.
I checked the interment plan. The next-of-kin wanted the body cremated. Guess who was in charge of cremations? That's right: me. In fact, he was on my list of things to do today.
According to the notes, I should have found him in cabinet C370. Of course, when I went to check cabinet C370, it was empty.
I pondered over this rather remarkable turn-of events. See, 'Hunter & Sons Family Funeral Services' was a professional establishment. We didn't tend to go around misplacing bodies. As a general rule, we were really quite meticulous in our dealings with the recently deceased.
"Excuse me, Reg?" I accosted my manager as soon as he walked through the doors. "Did I miss anything interesting over the weekend?"
"Whatever do you mean?" His words, and the frown on his face indicated confusion.
"C370?" I prodded. "The body I was meant to cremate today?"
"Whatever do you mean?!" He asked, taking off at what I can only describe as a 'brisk pace' to check the body cabinet for himself. "How did we lose a body? We don't lose bodies!"
After a number of exchanges, none of which got us any closer to figuring out what had happened, I found myself on the phone to the man I was meant to be avoiding: Shaun McCallum.
"I'll be right over." He announced, once I had finished explaining the circumstances that had led to my call.
There was something to be said for werewolf speed, because before I knew it, he was walking through my office door.
Reg had looked at me funny when I had requested he let me deal with this one personally - since I'd made a rather sincere point of avoiding as much interaction with the living as possible - but I expect he was also relieved to not have to deal with the situation himself.
"Mr McCallum..." I offered my hand towards him, a gesture I'd seen Reg do a thousand times before, and said the words he usually used. "Our sympathies at this difficult time. Thank you for choosing us to go on this journey with you."
Shaun raised his eyebrows at me, and studied my hand with what I suspect was suspicion, before he gripped it firmly and moved it up and down. When he withdrew his hand, he turned it back and forth a few times, like he was checking everything was still in working order.
I closed the door and took my seat behind the desk.
"What do you mean you lost my father's body?" He asked, once I was seated.
I couldn't help but notice that he had neglected to take a seat and was standing with what I want to call an 'agitated energy'.
"You saw his body, yes?" I asked.
"Yes." He answered. "Of course I saw my father's body. I had to confirm that it was him."
"I wanted to see it for myself, but we'll have to go from what you remember instead..." I continued. "What can you tell me about it? Any missing limbs? Massive tears marks? Grievous injuries? Or maybe even two little pin-pricks, close together, perhaps around the neck or groin area?"
Now, he chose to sit down. "You're thinking vampire?" He shook his head. "His body was completely unmarked. And the Starry Night pack took the credit for his death. None of this is making any sense."
In the deepest corners of my mind, a very troubling thought began to stir.
"Shaun." I waited until I had his full attention, eyes locked with mine. "I am truly so sorry about all of this. I promise you, I will get to the bottom of this. Until then, I need you to trust me, and stay as far away from me, and this place as possible."
"I don't want to do that." He shook his head, again. "You're my mate."
"Oh! Of course, I'd forgotten!" Silly me. "I, Avril Bloom, of...my own pack...reject you, Shaun McCallum, of the Solar Eclipse pack, as my mate. Now, go, be free, and live an excellent life."
- Writer
